I think Floyd Mayweather Jr’s skills were overhyped and exaggerated primarily bythe American media for the sake of the sport which is in dire need of a new modern American boxing hero.
The praises hauled on Floyd were all based on his well-thought-of and well-timed series of fights to make him an undefeated fighter. Floyd fights mostly by backpedalingand throwing punches on opponents in unexciting performances. Opponents chosen based on styles that well suits Floyd and the opponents were at their weakest.
Some of the media praised too much for Floyd to give them or ensure them of an all-access interview pass to Floyd for a scoop which is their bread and butter.Some Filipino mediamen already experienced being banned in one of Floyd’s press conferences.
Floyd’s Pound-4-Pound #1 ranking was hugely helped by the media praises on his skills and only HBO’s analyst Larry Merchant had the guts to tell the real score.
When Manny Pacquiao rebuilt his boxing career by going into the U.S. and linked with excellent boxing strategist trainer Freddie Roach, he rose from the bottom of the pitto the mythical Pound-4-Pound myth and equaled Floyd, who suddenly retired. When Pacquiao beat Floyd’s former opponents in a much better and devastating performances, Floyd who felt Pacquiao is surpassing what he did, came back from retirement. Floyd announced on the eve of the Pacquiao-Hatton fight that he is coming back to regain his #1 Pound-4-Pound place by fighting the smaller and forced-to-bloat fighter Marquez whom he later duped on theweight scales in exchange for a small amount to eventually win the fight convincingly.
But the worst was Pacquiao devastatingly knocking out Hatton whom Floyd’s father trained.Floyd Sr. has repeatedly proclaimed he is the world’s best trainer and not the “Joke Coach” Roach. Well, the self-proclaimed best trainer failed to convince his ward Hatton to follow and do his fight plan as he told the media and was never on Hatton’s side when he was knocked out. How much worse can a trainer can get when the fighter you are training got disgusted on you and don’t follow you? Floyd Sr. is only after his payday with Hatton.
Pacquiao pulled away high above Floyd at this point in time, breaking world records and beating bigger and stronger opponents.
So Floyd and his family of ‘yes’ men now try to downgrade Pacquiao’s amazing achievements by just talking, false accusations, self-proclamations, trash talks, racial rants, distracting anddestructing, unusual demands, etc. etc.
I dont even think that Floyd is even at par with the great fighters in the history of boxing.
Floyd’s status is only anchored on his zero-loss slate.
And that zero-loss slate is NOTHING for those wins were had from fights not the boxing fans wanted but at the right time and at the right place.
So now Floyd waits for Pacquiao to weaken, hugely distracted and bruised from fighting biggerand stronger opponents. Floyd is waiting for symptoms…
The perfect time to determine who is the best between Pacquiao and Floyd was last yearand Floyd ducked him. How cowardly can one get?
Artwork by John Paul Raloto
